April 12, 1945 and the non-accidental President Harry Truman.

Through all the years of studying history my singular favorite President of the United States has been Harry S. Truman and this winter with my study of books on the Great Depression, World War II, and Franklin Delano Roosevelt I have not changed my mind.  The press called him the "accidental President"…but he wasn’t…he was chosen.

When Franklin Roosevelt ran for his unprecedented fourth term he choose not to go with Vice President Wallace instead he went with Senator Harry S. Truman.  Many thought this was an odd move, but in studying the time closely you begin to realize that Roosevelt knew he was going to died in office and he needed a man capable of handling the peace negotiation after the war that was coming to a swift end in Europe, and a man who could deliver action to end the war in the Pacific with Japan.

Truman had worked for years in the Senate and had done a superb job on the Truman Committee on the Railroad situation and of stopping waste in the contracting of our military bases during the war.  In fact Truman was considered a true Democrat who did his President’s will and a sincere and honest man… a very rare commodity in Washington.  A man who could carry on his goal of gathering the World's powers into and organization to keep the world at peace. (The United Nations)

At the last Democratic National Convention before his death Roosevelt was adamant that he dump Wallace and that he put Truman on the ticket.  The trouble was Truman did not want the job.  He loved being in the Senate and it took much badgering and a direct call to Roosevelt to get him to accept the offer. 

The telling moment in history for me is when Truman meets the President before they start the campaign and the President asks Harry how he was going to campaign.  Truman replied “by air”.  Roosevelt turned to him and said, …”No…one of us has to be alive to be President!” 

Roosevelt knew he was a dying man and at that meeting Truman knew it as well when he saw how ill he looked.  Truman also knew the terrible weight that was about to descend on him, and at that point he didn’t even know about the Atomic Bomb!

On the evening of April 12, 1945 Truman became President number 33 and immediately took the reins of the government.  He was sworn in at the White House that evening.  On the following Monday he gave a speech addressing Congress at its conclusion he said, … “I have in my heart a prayer.  As I have assumed my heavy duties, I humbly pray Almighty God, in the words of King Solomon: “Give therefore they servant an understanding heart to judge Thy people, that I may discern between Good and bad:  for who is able to judge this… Thy so great a people?”

These words of one of my other favorite people in history, King Solomon who asked God for “Wisdom” not money…something we need in rulers today!  

Wish we could find another Harry Truman!

"A video of President Roosevelt's home and resting place from a visit I did on April12th last year!!"

January, Franklin & Eleanor Roosevelt- No Ordinary Time, Doris Kearns Goodwin and a reason to read history!

doris

Springwood at Hyde Park 

The cold of winter and the lure of the “ole woodstove” bring on my study of history as usual.  I have finished from this fall until now... a number of books going from the Great Depression on to the Neal Deal and WWII - from 5 by Churchill, two by Eisenhower, 2 on Johnson, and the gem of them all “No Ordinary Time” by Doris Kearns Goodwin.

With January 30^th coming this week – the Birthday of Franklin Delano Roosevelt,  I scheduled reading the book to coincide with it.  The book is a complete look at the Roosevelt years brought forth in an intimate way. It is the story of all the people surrounding the President and First Land as well as the story of a fight not only to end the “Depression” but also to end the world conflict.  Leaders like Winston Churchill, King, Hopkins, and Stalin come to life, as do all the characters involved both official and family life.  Doris uses a huge amount of research that weaves the story using the actual words via diaries, press articles, and personal interviews... as well as glimpses of the official record.

Seeing Eleanor as her true self is a stunning glimpse into a woman who drove herself and in part her husband to improve not on the United States but the world.  She often is called is eyes and legs in her travesl…but the book shows that she was also an antagonist that harped at him for causes he otherwise would have let go.

The title actually came from a speech Eleanor gave not the words of Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  The speech came when Roosevelt ran for an unheard of third term.  He maneuvered to get the delegates to put his name up for nomination without actually declaring to run or going to the convention.  The conventioneers resented the fact that he did not come in person and when he wished to have Henry Wallace nominated for Vice President... the convention erupted trying to push a number of other candidates beccoming quite an unsettled and raucous scene. 

So in typical fashion he asked Eleanor to go and speak to them.  Up until that time no other First Lady had addressed a Democratic Convention.  With noise and “carryings-on” they put her to the podium after all the names had been placed in nomination to speak.  As she spoke the convention quieted and she appealed to them to give the President the man he wanted…with the world at war  “this was no ordinary time”.  When she finished, Wallace was unanimously selected.

The book is a New York Times Best Seller, the winner of a Pulitzer Prize and a worthy study that should be read by all… especially the baby boomers and younger folk so that they can get a true picture of those days in America. A time of poverty, strife, segregation, New Deals, rationing, the industrial War effort, women to work, and most of all the intimate story of the man that held it all together.

Quoting the New York Times _”Men will thank God on their knees a hundred years from now, that Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House. “

Even if you don’t agree with his policies reading the book will give you the ability to see that his Presidency was a gift to the people of not only America, but the world at war!  Read or listen to it.  A rare history book that will have you crying with the Nation at the end.

Below is my video of Springwood at Hyde Park where you can visit the Presidents home, Library, and Eleanor's cottage at Val-kill....a day trip visit from CNY a great place to visit with the family.

The very historic events of April 15th in our history!

Springwood at Hyde Park

Today we remember April 15th because of the movie Lincoln or for the sinking of the Titanic mostly because of movies in the mainstream, however April 15th was a more modern event of great importance for Americans of the WWII era...It was the day they buried their beloved Presidtent FDR. Last year on this week I took the time to visit FDR's home and grave!

Few alive today can remember the heart felt sorrow that accompanied the word that FDR was dead. Roosevelt had gone to his retreat at Warm Springs, Georgia and was enjoying a peaceful day trying to relieve the stress of World War II. He had been working and sitting for a portrait that was being done by artist Elizabeth Shoumatoff, who was a friend of Lucy Rutherford, Roosevelt’s longtime mistress. It was here at what was called the little White House”, on the day before Friday the 13th, FDR suffered a fatal cerebral hemorrhage and died.

Franklin’s body was taken in a copper lined casket to the rail station and sent to Washington, DC where 24 hours later a grief-stricken city waited for him. The President’s funeral took place in the White House on Saturday the 14th with only a limited number of people able to fit into the small area by invitation. Then taken to the train station for his last ride from Washington to Hyde Park, New York and the Roosevelt’s beloved estate Springwood.

The President did not want a big ceremony only simple arrangements, but was followed by a huge entourage on the train made up of Congressmen, Senators and dignitaries. West Point Cadets arrived, as well as plain citizens and members of the Armed forces. Warplanes flew overhead and with a nation’s prayers, Roosevelt was laid to rest in the Rose Garden.

Franklin only wanted a plain slab of white marble as a monument, and today that monument in the rose Garden, is part of the Hyde Park National Historic Park that includes America’s first Presidential Library, started in 1941 before FDR’s death by FDR himself. Also within the park is Springwood Estate bequeathed to the United States by Roosevelt himself ,along with all of its original furnishings and its many out buildings.

Today you can visit this important site and walk the grounds where much history unfolded, and where a grateful nation laid its leader to rest on April 15th, 1945. Buried with him is his wife Anna Eleanor Roosevelt and his famous dog Fala.

If you do go to visit Springwood besure to visit Eleanor's place at Val-Kill ...on the grounds....video below.